Struggling Economy: What Changes Will Baseball See?

For this weeks post, I chose to explore the blogosphere in search of relevant information tying together our struggling economy with the business of baseball. Like I thought, finding good quality information on this subject was not extremely difficult. However, I wanted to make sure that it involved two of the biggest money spending and revenue generating teams in baseball. The first blog that I commented on is titled "The Biz of Baseball". The best feature of this blog is that it is strictly dedicated to baseball as a business. A lot of the time when you are searching for baseball information online, you are side tracked to an amateur site that it is irrelevant. The Biz of Baseball offers a very in depth look at certain aspects of baseball as a business. The article that I posted on, discusses the struggles of Citigroup as a company and whether or not this will affect the naming rights deal that they have with the Mets. The author of this post is Maury Brown, who is the founder of the Business of Sports Network. The next post that I commented on is regarding the Yankees, new stadium with high priced seating and the struggling economy. The blog is titled "The LoHud Yankees Blog" and this post in particular discusses the Yankees currently on the free agency market. What I chose to comment on is how the Yankees and owner George Steinbrenner will deal with the fact that 7 luxury boxes priced at anywhere between $600,000-$850,000, have yet to be sold. That is a lot of money, and with the struggling economy several of the big companies that used to purchase these seats are now unable to afford them. I ask the question of how will Steinbrenner be affected during this upcoming season, because we have seen no slowing down by the Yankees in this year's free agency hunt. Below are both of the comments that I posted on the blogs that I just discussed.


Citi Field Name Safe, According to Mets
Comment

Maury:
Thanks for your interesting post. I have been very curious as to what the implications of our struggling economy will be towards the new Citi field. Our country is at a point right now where it feels like every single day our economy is turning for the worse. It does not look like we are going to see change any time soon in this regard. 53,000 employees laid off, and yet there is no problem with the naming rights deal. For some reason I find this information very hard to believe. When a company goes ahead and fires nearly 20% of their work force, it is very clear that it is struggling as a whole. I am curious whether this is the whole truth, or there is information being held up. The $400 Million deal is one of the most lucrative naming rights deals of all time. With Citigroup struggling so much as a whole, I would think that the $20 Million annually that they will have to pay for the next 20 years may be difficult. Where were you able to pull these sources from? I'm sure that in the end Citigroup will retain there naming rights, but as the company is walking on thin ice, I would guess that this deal could collapse at any moment in time.

What are your opinions on the matter? Do you think that there is truth to what Jay Horowitz has said in response to the questioning? I don't see how a company that is locked in to such an expensive deal cannot feel any stress regarding the situation right now. When a company has to let that many employees go they are clearly facing difficult times. It probably came down to a decision of what was more important, and the deal with the Mets was the correct choice. Thanks for keeping me updated on what's going on.

Hal: We're Ready For Free Agency
Comment
Peter:

Thanks for giving such up to date information regarding the Yankees. What I would like to address is the affects that our struggling economy will have on the Yankees, and the Steinbrenner's. I believe you said that seven of the luxury boxes have remained unsold. I read somewhere else that they are all down the foul lines, and priced at somewhere between $600,000-$850,000 a piece. Clearly these boxes are being purchased by large companies who can afford this type of season box. With our economy in such dire straits and companies facing such economic struggles, it is very possible that these boxes will not be purchased all year long for those prices. My question is how will this struggling economy affect Mr. Steinbrenner's pocket with such a hefty payroll. I'm sure all of the seats that the Yankees were intending on selling for $2000 a ticket behind home plate will not be sold out either, at least for that price. I feel like this could end up being a real shock, with a $200 Million payroll and possibly a stadium that is not sold out, the big boss could end up losing some money. What do you think? I know the T.V deal is always a big money maker, but it may not be as profitable this year.

While we are on the subject which big time free agents do you think the Yankees will end up signing? I am fairly confident that C.C will end up in pinstripes, but which of the other big name pitchers do you think they will get. To be honest with you, I personally think that Peavy is the best of all. He had a down year, but the morale in San Diego was so low. He has some of the most electrifying stuff in the league, and I know that he would be a huge asset to the Yankees rotation. Even more of an asset than C.C would be. Burnett has always been a head case, yes he has a live fastball and a deadly curve ball, but you can count on him to get inside his own head and start causing some problems.

Respect the Rookies: Longoria and Soto Take the Awards

One of the most telling awards that baseball offers its athletes is Rookie of the Year. Both of this season's winners were so successful throughout the year that the race was basically over in July at the all-star break. Any athlete, manager, team executive or fan, would tell you that the most important thing to any of them, is winning. This season, Evan Longoria of the Tampa Bay Rays and Geovany Soto of the Chicago Cubs, were both integral parts to their teams success. Sometimes the Rookie of the Year award is won mainly because of a lack of competition. The National League did not offer much competition for catcher, Geovany Soto. The only real threat to his victory was first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds, Joey Votto. Votto, never really stood a chance against the outstanding rookie for one of America's favorite teams. Not only did Soto put up fabulous offensive numbers for a Rookie and he did it playing the most difficult position. Evan Longoria in my opinion was the most valuable player for the Rays this season. When they really needed it most, he was the guy that carried them on his shoulders down the final stretch of the season. It is no wonder he was the unanimous Rookie of the Year in the American League. Even after starting off the season slow, and then missing 5 weeks with a broken wrist, Longoria sparked one of the best turnarounds in any franchises history. Longoria was up against other talented rookies such as Alexei Ramirez of the White Sox, but was the clear favorite. What I am going to propose is that a Rookie of the Year should be able to earn a greater salary in his second season, rather than have to wait to become arbitration eligible. Sometimes a team will give a player a bonus when they don't have to, but it is never an amount close to what they truly deserve.

As the title of my blog points out, the catching gear is nicknamed "The Tools of Ignorance". Catching is the most difficult job as a position player. The last National League catcher to win this honor was Mike Piazza for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1993. Soto was a member of the best Chicago Cubs team in a long time. Unfortunately for him, and the rest of Chicago, their best chance at breaking the curse in a long time was spoiled by bad defense, and a red hot Manny Ramirez. Nonetheless, the 25 year-old Soto earned $401,000 during his Rookie of the Year campaign. Soto is set to make $500,000 during the 2009 season. Here is one of the fundamental problems I have with executives in baseball. Soto, who is clearly an upcoming talent in the major league's is going to make to earn about as small a salary as one can. Meanwhile, backup catcher Henry Blanco, is all set to earn $3 Million in salary. I understand that Blanco is a proven veteran, but it still boggles my mind when the back up is earning significantly more than the starter. I think that baseball should impose a rookie success rule, that allows players who attain a certain amount of success to be given a hefty salary increase.

Apparently the Ray's knew they had something special in Longoria, because they signed him to a long term deal worth up to $44.5 Million over 9 seasons. What a smart move, because when his deal is up with the Ray's, you will see him signing one of those insanely large deals with the Yankees or Mets. The Rays now have Longoria locked in to a long term deal, and a player to build their franchise around during future transactions. These types of deals are happening more often in baseball today, and I see it as the "smart play". The Florida Marlins just signed 2006 Rookie of the Year, Hanley Ramirez, to a contract extension for 7 years and $70 Million. If Ramirez were to go into free agency you can bet he would have received a deal much more elaborate than that. He is one of the brightest young stars in baseball, but like any other business, security is of great value. It is a classic win-win situation. The Marlins signed one of the top players in baseball for a reasonable price, and Ramirez has given himself lifetime security.

I am not sure whether the Cubs think that Soto is not worth a long term contract yet, or he just greatly exceeded expectations. Either way he is going to earn $500,000 with very little security while Longoria is set for the future. Baseball should seriously consider rewarding its rookies who perform at the highest levels. If their teams are not willing to offer them a long-term contract, they should at least be able to earn the salary of one of the better players in the league.

Expect the Unexpected: A Season of Surprises

Just like that the season is over. Every year it is the same thing, the regular season lasts a lifetime, and the post season is over before you know it. Sometimes I wish we could speed up the regular season and slow down the post. With another year gone, we now have more stories to tell about another incredible season. After exploring the blogosphere, I have chosen to comment on two of what I feel are the most important stories coming out of this season. One of the top stories is the rising of the Tampa Bay Rays a dominant force in the American League East. Before the season they decided that they would no longer be the "Devil Ray's" but only go by the "Ray's". When this happened nobody really cared, because, lets face it they have never been very good. Little did we all know that this little cared about franchise was about to have one of the best turnarounds in a single season, in the history of Major League Baseball. The first blog I posted on "Kreuzer's Korner" is a blog that will discuss anything of interest. Mostly the topics are current issues, that have stirred up some interesting conversation. This week the post was discussing how the Cinderella Story came to an end for the Ray's. I understand what he is trying to say but it still is difficult for me to not call the Ray's season a Cinderella story. Below I posted my comments and thoughts on how I felt about this post. I have followed the Ray's all season long because I love watching a team with a small payroll defeat the Yankees. The next blog I posted on is part of AOL, and it is called "MLB Fanhouse". The post that I chose to comment on was another big story from the end of the season. The post is regarding Bud Selig nearly ruining the World Series by calling the game only after playing 1 1/2 innings in a torrential downpour. I posted my thoughts on how I feel about commissioner Selig and some of the other mistakes he has made throughout his career at this position. Both of these blogs that I posted on give objective opinions on recent news in the sporting world and offer insight that I both agree and disagree with.

"The Slipper Doesn't Fit...End Of Cinderella Dream For Tampa Bay Rays" Comment

Yes, it is true the Rays fell just short of the Cinderella season. Yet, I find it so incredibly hard to not call it one. Tampa Bay has been the laughing stock of the league ever since they were brought into the league. It doesn’t help that they have been competing in what has been the toughest division in baseball for the last five years or so. How can you not call it a Cinderella season? They went from being the worst team in the league, to American League champions. It was an absolutely spectacular season. To be quite honest with you I don’t even know how it happened. Yes, Evan Longoria had an incredible year once he came back from injury. He carried this team on his back through some tough times, and although he struggled in the World Series, has a lot to be proud of. The pitching was great all year long. If I were to have given you that starting five at the beginning of the year you would not expect them to have done things they did. Now coming back next year you are looking at David Price and Matt Garza who in my opinion will both become stars in this league. How about B.J Upton almost tying his home run total during the season in the playoffs alone. What about blowing a huge lead against the Red Sox, and then still coming back in game seven to win. It was amazing. They just ran out of gas. I think it is safe to say that this Ray’s team under the leadership of Joe Maddon, is going to be good for a while. These young athletes all grew up during this season, and they are going to be making noise for years to come. In my opinion, it still can be called a Cinderella season.

It is all just part of baseball. Only one team is truly satisfied at the end of the season, and everyone else just gets back to work. Hopefully this year said something to fans in Tampa Bay, and they can really become a powerful franchise. They had an exceptional season, even when expectations were low as usual. They were exciting to watch, you never knew how it was going to happen, but these guys had an uncanny ability to win. That is the beautiful thing about baseball, money is not always going to put “W’s” up on the board.

"Bud Selig Nearly Ruined the World Series"
Comment

Pat, Thanks for your post. Just like you, I am an extremely dedicated baseball fan. Although neither of the teams competing in the World Series was my team, I will always enjoy the games at the end of the season. Bud Selig has tarnished his reputation once again. Why in the world did these teams play in the ridiculous weather? After the game I spoke to numerous people, and several of them just said I felt bad for the athletes. It was not baseball out there, they were all helpless. The only thing that could have come from this game would have been serious injuries. It is actually a miracle that nobody was seriously hurt. Clearly the players will do their jobs and play, but it was almost unbearable to watch.

This leads to my next question. What qualifications and results should we see in the next commissioner of Major League Baseball? Selig has been okay, but has also made several mistakes that have caused great amounts of criticism. The Phillies were the better team, and fortunately for Selig they came away with the title. The momentum was clearly shifted back to the Rays once this unprecedented rain delay took place. I think at several points in Selig's career as the commissioner he has not been sure about the decision that he is making. Baseball needs a solid commissioner who is not afraid to let his point be heard. Roger Goodell of the NFL is doing a great job with issues like Pac Man Jones and so forth. He is laying down the law and I think that it truly is helping the game.

It turns out that this rain delay made the series even more exciting. I've never seen a game where the teams top set up man start the game in a 3 1/2 inning battle to the finish. For three days the city of Philadelphia was on its heels, just hoping to get this thing over with. For a while it looked like a blind-sided right hook that was thrown by the curse. Luckily for them, it wasn't. It was just one more bump in the road that they had to overcome.

There Is No Cryihttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifng In Baseball: A Closer Look At Salary Arbitration

Just like any other company, Major League Baseball is a business. The only difference is rather than dealing with thousands, we are constantly dealing with millions. How would one feel if during a review the boss pointed out every flaw, just so he or she would not have to pay you a certain salary that you felt you deserved? Welcome to the big leagues. During their third through sixth years in the league, players or clubs are allowed to submit a dispute over a players earnings. Once this dispute has been placed, the player and team have begun the process of "Salary Arbitration". The way that is works is the player and team executives will both submit a salary that each believes the player should earn, to a panel of three impartial arbitrators. The team executives and their lawyer will then engage in a gruesome process against the player's agent and lawyer that somewhat resembles a trial. Each side will make their case based on previous seasons statistics that go into every detail possible. Management will not hesitate to point out any and every flaw committed by the athlete. It is then left up to the impartial arbitrators to choose one salary that they believe is the "fairer" of the two options. Salary Arbitration involves no compromising between the player and the team. By doing this, the team executives and players are prevented from going either too high or too low with their offer. Most of the time the team and players will settle on a long term contract before they actually have to go through the ugly process. Doing this helps preserve a solid relationship, without battling one another. However, sometimes the teams are just unable to agree.

There is a long history behind the creation of Salary Arbitration, and many people who are responsible for its beginning. However, I do not wish to merely explain it, but instead to understand its concept. Is "Final Offer Arbitration" the best solution? Isn't it possible that holding an appearance between the executives and players bashing one another could be damaging to future relations? The answer is yes, but in my opinion salary arbitration is still the most viable option. Of course settling on a long term contract before arbitration is necessary is the best route to take. Most of the time this is case, but like I said before it is not always easy to agree. The reason that I feel salary arbitration is the best option, lies with the impartial judge. So many times you will see absurdly large contracts given to players who just are not performing. The best example I can give is Andruw Jones of the Dodgers. He is making $18 million a year and hardly ever played. The simple fact that there is no compromise in arbitration, really gives control to the players. It is a fair process. Most of the time when a case is taken to final offer arbitration, the ending result is fair. Both sides will honestly put what they feel is the proper amount to pay that player.

The most useful of example of salary arbitrations legitimacy is the recent case of Ryan Howard. Ryan Howard and the Philadelphia Phillies are currently one game away from winning the World Series, and Howard who has turned it on late is the favorite for series MVP. In 2006 Howard won the league MVP award. He belted 58 home runs, had 149 RBI's and still hit with an impressive .313 batting average. In that incredible season, only Howard's second year in the league, he earned $355,000. The following season he put up huge numbers once again, and received in compensation just $900,000. Finally, after serving three years of service, Howard was arbitration eligible. After being unable to settle on a long term deal, the process was taken to final offer arbitration. The Phillies offered $7 million and Howard desired $10 million. After 5 hours of listening to each sides case, the impartial arbitrators ruled in favor of Howard. The way I look at it is pay back for the service he provided the previous two years. While he was out producing huge numbers, there were players sitting on the bench making 20 times more than him. It only made sense that he is compensated fully now. Apparently Howard is worth it because he has led to Phillies to within one game of the World Series title, and will possibly be receiving his second MVP award in the last 4 years. After the contract was settled Assistant General Manager of the Phillies Ruben Amaro Jr. explained " I'm sure he's very pleased...This negotiation has been very amicable and very professional. It's just part of the process".

The players and management both know that baseball is a business, and this is just part of it. Although there is a chance that someone gets there feelings hurt, neither side tries to take it personally. Salary Arbitration is a very important aspect to the business of baseball. It helps the athletes earn the money they deserve, rather than let is all go to the older washed up players. Ryan Howard's $10 million victory in arbitration tied Alfonso Soriano for the most ever earned in arbitration. The difference is that Howard won his trial, Soriano wanted $12 million. I think that over time this process have proven to be fair and is essential to the functionality of baseball.

Keeping Up: Baseball's Leading Online News Sources

This week, I added an additional 20 websites and blogs to my linkroll (right). Each one provides an excellent source of up to date information regarding current issues in Major League Baseball. Using the Webby Awards and IMSA judging criteria, I was able to compile a concise list of well written blogs and online news sources that pertain to my current and future posts. These links can all be found in my linkroll, but I will also critique each one in this post. My first link, 150 Top Baseball Blogs, is ultimately very useful, however, it can pose several problems because of how broad of a website it is. The purpose of this site is to compile the top 150 best blogs that are current and up to date regarding all aspects of baseball. The benefit is that the blogs posted on this website are all kept up with current news. Sometimes you can find blogs online that have posts from several months ago, and have not been updated. Like I said though, the website is very broad and it can be difficult to find specific information. Overall it proves to be a good source for finding scattered opinions around the internet. My next website is the Baseball Almanac. Clearly this is very relevant to my topic because I am constantly bringing up historical facts in my posts. The Baseball Almanac is undoubtedly the most accurate way to go when referring to historical baseball numbers. Some of the flaws with this website have to do with the design. The way that this page is organized makes it difficult to quickly access anything you are looking for. The home page is full of numbers and information making it slightly confusing from the beginning. A much superior website in my opinion is "Baseball-Reference". The idea of this page is the same as the baseball almanac. It is a website designed to help find any information about baseball. The difference between the two pages is the design. I feel that the design of this page is far less intimidating. It also offers a friendly search box in the upper left corner, which could make researching a lesser pain. Baseball.Com, is a very simple website that does exactly what you would expect it to. I enjoy this page because of the simplicity and easy usability.

The next group of websites that I added to my linkroll, are the basics that most people will immediately search, when looking for new info. One of the most popular, and my favorite website, is ESPN. I have directed my link straight to the baseball page, but ESPN is my favorite site for locating information on every sport. They are always accurate, and the page is designed nearly flawlessly. The most obvious of all choices when it comes to baseball, is MLB.Com. The most beneficial aspect of this website is the season pass. If you are willing to pay a set fee, you are able to watch live streaming video of the game of your choice online. Personally, I have used this feature many times, because at my apartment I have not subscribed to the major league package on television. It offers a cheaper option for following a team that you cannot watch on television. Fox Sports is well composed and offers a very user friendly site. The best part of this website is how clean and simple it is. The colors of the interface are plain and are not distracting like some of the other sites. I think well of how the page is broken up into several different segments, making it easy to decide where you are dragging the mouse. Another popular website around the country, is Sports Illustrated. Just like the magazine, Sports Illustrated offers current news, as well as superbly written articles by their senior writers. This site offers the thoughts of some of the most talented sports writers in the country, paving the way for an excellent and intellectual analysis. Yahoo Sports, is not one my favorites but seems rather popular. One of the things that this website does well is update live baseball games quickly. They offer a nice play by play for game situations, which is constantly being updated. However, Yahoo Sports is more popular for the fantasy world.

Online newspapers are often viewed for facts and opinions on current issues in baseball. The Los Angeles Times offers a very intuitive sports section that I check on a daily basis. Everyday you can find the opinions of several LA Times writers on the issues going on around the league, but mainly with the hometown Dodgers and Angels. This is the best place to go for in depth information on the Dodgers. Just like Los Angeles, the New York Times offers a very extensive sports section on their teams. The New York writers are possibly the most opinionated which makes for an excellent read when analyzing the New York Sports, especially baseball. The Palm Beach Post is my favorite online paper to keep up with. I'm a dedicated Florida Marlin fan, and I find that some of the best articles on the Marlins are written on the post. USA Today is a great online source for finding the most current information. Since it is not dedicated to any one city, the site does not dedicate nearly as much to a certain team. MLBAmerica is the most useful website for online papers. On the left hand side there are direct links to most online newspapers sports sections. This is great so you do not have to go through the home page of each newspaper, something that could eat up a great deal of time. Another relevant site is The Pro Baseball Newspaper Archive. This is a great page that will I will use in order to enhance my posts. With this website I can access historical newspaper articles and apply them to my blog. This is a very efficient site, and easily used with the search option at the top of the page.


The last additions to my linkroll are all based on my previous posts. First, The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is beneficial for easy access on my linkroll. My first post on the Mitchell Report, is greatly going to affect the future of players being inducted into the hall of fame. I thought that it would be interesting to see who is already in and then compare some of these players statistics, with players who may get shafted due to the steroid scandal. Sportsology is a very cool blog that offers extremely creative and objective views. You can always retrieve a great article on some type of flaw in major league baseball. The 'Ropolitans, is a very extensive online blog about the New York Mets. My last blog post was on the Mets recent failure, so I thought this was great blog to see different fans reactions throughout the post season. The last link I posted is to a blog called MLBlogs. This blog is very unique in that along with fans blogging, it offers blogs from current and former major league players. It is especially interesting to follow the blogs of players who are on current playoff teams. Anyone can offer and opinion, but the players are the ones that really know what is taking place.

WILD CARD RACE: A WILD RIDE

It does not get much better than this. Two excellent baseball teams, both battled for a division championship all year, and now the one spot in the national league playoffs has been filled. Let me break down the final weekend in baseball. The Milwaukee Brewers finish with a record of 90 wins and 72 losses. They cinch the NL wild card by defeating division rival and National League Central champions, the Chicago Cubs. The New York Mets end the season with a record of 89 wins and 73 losses, losing to division rival Florida Marlins, who happened to eliminate them from playoff contention just last year. There was an enormous amount of pressure on both sides. The Milwaukee Brewers were still subject to a controversial move, the removal of Manager Ned Yost with a small portion of the season left. The New York Mets collapsed under the pressure last year, and then went out and signed all-star Johan Santana to a huge deal to ensure a playoff appearance this season. Both teams played their final game at home. The Mets pitched Oliver Perez against Florida's Scott Olsen. Neither of them is the ace of their own staff, but both have been competitive all year. Oliver Perez went 5 1/3 innings, giving up only 2 earned runs. Olson went six innings, giving up two earned runs as well. However, the Mets bullpen let them down again. All year long the Mets put themselves in a position to win games and the bullpen could not close. They allowed another two runs as Florida went on to win, 4-2. Milwaukee pitched ace C.C Sabathia, who some pick to win the N.L Cy Young award even after being traded mid-season. Chicago's ace, Carlos Zambrano, was supposed to start but scratched at the last minute in favor of Angel Guzman. Sabathia turned in one another one of his great performances. He tossed all nine innings giving up only one earned run. He improved his record with Milwaukee to 11-2, and more importantly has lead them to the playoffs. Both of these games peaked great interest, and left some fans ecstatic and some devastated. After exploring the blogosphere, I came across several different blogs regarding both of these teams and their current status. The first blog I posted on, LastWordSportsNewsz.com, is a site dedicated to sports blogs. The goal is to allow give different opinions on current issues in sports. The second blog I posted on, Bats, is a blog written by New York Times reporters, Tyler Kepner, Ben Shpigel and Jack Curry. The goal of this blog is to give the most current information regarding the Mets and Yankees. What will be the future of managers Jerry Manuel and Dale Sveum?

"Final: Santana Keeps Mets Alive; Mets Beat Marlins 2-0"
Comment

Thanks for your post. The end to this baseball season has been very rocky. It seems that every day a different team is gaining momentum. Just last week it seemed like the Mets were going to run away with it. Suddenly, they find themselves with their backs to wall. I am extremely impressed with the way that Johan Santana handled himself today. Coming off just three days rest and a 125-pitch performance, it is quite remarkable that he was able to shut down a Marlin team that is playing well. With the pressure really building up, this was a very clutch win for the Mets.

I would love to get your opinion about Sunday's game and what will take place. The Mets will be throwing Oliver Perez against Scott Olsen. Neither of the pitchers are considered the ace of their staff, but either one could pitch a great game at any given time. Meanwhile, the Brewers will be throwing C.C Sabathia against Carlos Zambrano. Who do you think has the advantage in that game? Zambrano is still getting back into the swing of things since coming off the D.L, even though he had that incredible no hitter. Sabathia has been absolutely incredible since coming to Milwaukee. I would have to give the advantage to the Brewers, being at home with Sabathia. It really should be interesting to see how things play out.

Say both teams win tomorrow. Who do you think holds the advantage in a one game playoff? I am not quite sure where the game would be played. Which team had a better record against each other during the year? With the disaster that was last season, I think that there is an intense amount of pressure put on the Mets. Today Santana came up extremely clutch. It seems that the huge off season contract was in fact worth it. It should be interesting to see how these last couple days play out, and whether the Mets can handle the pressure, especially if the season was to go into a one game playoff. I am curious of what your opinions are on the future of the season. Thanks for keeping us updated.


"New York Mets & Milwaukee Brewers: Different Teams, Same Issues"
Comment

Thanks for you well thought out post. I completely agree that these two teams had similar qualities. Now that the wild card race is over, there are several questions that need to be answered. The Mets have now choked in the final game, two seasons in a row. It seems that their bullpen problems are the reason that they are not going to the playoffs this year. Once again, they were let down in the late innings of the game. I do not fault Jerry Manuel, I just think he was hit with a little bad luck. When Billy Wagner went down, the bullpen really suffered. Although I am a Marlins fan, I actually feel slightly bad for the Mets. They went out in the off-season and purchased Santana for a huge price. Then he goes out yesterday and pitches absolutely incredible. You would think that his performance would give them the boost they needed. Apparently this is not the case because the $22 million payroll Florida Marlins knocked the Mets out once again. How do you think the Mets will handle this off season? Last year was tough, but two years in a row must be even more difficult to swallow.

On the other hand, I congratulate the Brewers on a job well done. They had to deal with great adversity the last couple weeks of the season. The front office was scrutinized for the firing of Ned Yost, and the team seemed to be crumbling. Under the command of Dale Sveum, they were able to get around the distractions and finish out on top. Do you think that Sveum earned himself a full time managerial position, or does it depend on the outcome in the playoffs? I happen to think it depends on the playoffs because we still have not had enough time to analyze his game management. If he proves that he can win in the playoffs, then by all means give him the job. The Brewers have a ton of talent and I am happy that they have finally broken the streak. I definitely think that they are a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs. I am interested to know the directions that you think both of these organizations are heading in.

The Mitchell Report: Baseball Prevails

Being an avid sports fan or not, it is likely that the hectic activity following steroid use in baseball has been brought to one's attention. The Mitchell Report is the most recent action, taken by former Senator George Mitchell (pictured at the left), to uncover the most unknown facts regarding performance-enhancing drugs in baseball. Names like Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens top a list that has stirred up great controversy. Congress was fearful that the drug polices implemented by Major League Baseball were weak, and was allowing certain athletes to obtain an unfair advantage during competition. Congress designated George Mitchell to lead this extensive 20-month investigation, which was released December 13, 2007. This report was a federal investigation, which resulted in trials of several different current and former major league players. It has been an extremely stressful period for the athletes, management and fans. I am writing this not to criticize players who have taken performance enhancing drugs. My goal is analyze different aspects of baseball's success as a business and fan based sport, post-Mitchell Report. The popularity of professional football, basketball and NASCAR are constantly increasing. The most important element that we need to analyze regarding the steroid scandal is what effects will be drawn from this in the future? Many people have been personally offended by this situation, while others do not even care. We must take all the necessary precautions to make sure that the name of baseball is not forever damaged.

We have lived in an era dominated by the long ball. 73 home runs is absolutely incredible. The thought of that number that high is almost mind boggling. At one point Barry Bonds rounded the bases in Pittsburgh at a slim 185 lbs. His final year in San Francisco he was listed at a bulky 230 lbs, probably even heavier. Due to his incredible power numbers and growth physically, Bonds has long been the main topic of the steroid discussion. In recent years, books like Jose Canseco's "Juiced" and Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance William's "Game of Shadows" have released the names of several players who aided their performance. It is evident that books like these, have really changed the dynamic of baseball. Does baseball really need the long ball to succeed as a business? Even with home run totals far lower than they have been in a long time, the fans are still filling the seats. Yes it is exciting when an athlete homers, but winning is still the most important part of baseball. It is about cheering on your team, and helping people relate with their city. The drug testing is now far more advanced, making it nearly impossible to get away with anything. Statistics show us that power numbers in baseball are drastically down. Only Ryan Howard of the Philadelphia Phillies currently has more than 40 home runs. The last couple years Howard has been the class of the league when it comes to home run and RBI totals. Fortunately, Howard seems to hold a natural size and strength that help produce his leading statistics. An area that has really hurt baseball, is when these superstar players are caught in their lies. Former major league great, Rafael Palmeiro, was known around the league and to the country as a great all around person. When he was questioned in the courtroom, Palmerio looked straight into the camera and emphasized the fact that he did not taking performance enhancing drugs. It was much to the chagrin of the league and fans around the country when we later found out that Palmeiro did in fact lie. These athletes have disappointed their fans and embarrassed themselves. Maybe it has all been for nothing. Even with a rise in the scandal situation, baseball remains in a thriving situation.

As the number of home run totals decreases, attendance is as constant as ever. In Bonds's record setting season in 2001, the San Francisco Giants averaged 40,877 fans per game. In 2007 a far less talented giants team still averaged 39,792 fans a game. Allegiance is as strong now as it was prior the steroids, and The Mitchell Report. September 21, 2008 marked the last game played at Yankee Stadium. Yankee fans are viewed as dedicated, yet loathed by many people around the country. Tickets for the last game at old Yankee stadium reached outrageous prices ranging up to $15,000, even though it was against a mediocre Baltimore team. Both Andy Pettite and Jason Giambi suit up for the Yankees, but that does not seem to effect fan support either. In fact, it has been the consistency of Yankee fans that has given owner George Steinbrenner, the means to build the new Yankee stadium, which is costing a reported $1 billion. The stadium is said to resemble a 5-star hotel, including a spa, and several high end restaurants. The New York Mets are also building a new park, as well as a few other teams around the league. The integrity of the game has been tainted slightly, but the popularity of baseball is still there. Scandals are common in all athletic competition because everyone is looking to get a competitive edge. The consistent success of baseball, post-Mitchell Report, shows me that America needs baseball. Even if baseball reverts back to small ball, like it used to be, fans will continue to remain loyal and dedicated. This is America's game, and although The Mitchell Report hit this game with heavy force, baseball prevailed.